Biography 269 : Toys and animals

 Our brother was born after 4 sisters. Obviously we all love him. Especially our parents. My father always listened to him. Whatever he wanted, he bought it for him. For example, I tried to convince my dad to go on the Sylhet tour, but he kept denying until Sifat said, "Ok, I will go with you." Immediately Dad agreed to make the tour. Sifat wanted a computer, not for learning, only to play games, my dad knew it, but he bought it for him. Every time he (my brother) went out to the shopping mall, he bought a toy and marked another one. After reaching home, he started asking for the other one too. Let me tell you one incident. He bought something and saw a plastic fish in the shopping center. After reaching home, he started demanding it. My father said, You just have a toy. But he wasn't ready to accept any logic. Dad thought, let's take some time, he might forget. But Sifat didn't. He kept asking for that fish for one month. Dad bought that fish. Within a few seconds, it became old. He didn't touch that again.

One day, we went to a toy store where Sifat regularly buys toys. We were surprised that there were no new toys. Whatever they had, Sifat had already bought one copy of.

I am saying this just to make you understand how much we pampered him. He knew, everybody loves him. He likes animals. Then he figured it out, all animals love him. They all called by his name. How come? He imitated their call with his name and proved to us that they all called him. We didn't want to dishearten him. So, we all agree, yes, everything, like a sparrow, crows, cows, a dog, goats, etc, all call by his name.

The city should follow some basic steps to remove snow or water.

 Whenever a snow or rain warning is issued, the city should clean up all the drainage systems, the roadside water flow area, and other areas to prevent floods.

The city should be strict with the sidewalk rules. Every household and organization should clean up and put salt on the sidewalks around them. People seem not to care about the rules.

Before starting to clean up all the snow, the city should make paths for bus stoppages, where people should get up and down from the bus, the entrances of any organizations, and sidewalks (where no organizations or households are responsible).

After the snowstorm, clean up and open the path again to allow the melted snow to flow. This will help reduce snow and water before cleaning up the entire area.

Old and current Toronto.

Old Toronto

Toronto, now.

 

Biography 268: Studying in a madrasa.

 Sifat studied in a Madrasa (Islamic Study Centre) for a couple of days or months. As far as I understand, my mom wanted her son to stay and study in Madrasa for a couple of years to learn Islam and follow them correctly.

He went there without making any trouble. But we (sisters and father) were very worried about him. Will he eat properly, will he be beaten up by older students or teachers, can he stay without family, will he get proper study to join the mainstream study, etc again.

But when he came home on the weekend, it seemed he was enjoying himself there. Though the stories he was telling us didn't make us happy. He said he doesn't want to put on a mosquito net because he wakes up in the morning when mosquitoes bite too much. That's kind of an alarm clock for him. We were shocked. He started sitting on the floor. We said, it's dirty, sit on the chair. He said, it's ok, over there; he used to sit on the floor mostly. Sifat became very thin in a short period.

He told us some good things and funny things too. He used to eat food with the principal at their house. He had good food. Sifat also told us that the principal's son-in-law used to stay at his (principal's) house. He liked to during rooh afjah every now and then. He (Son in law) asked his mother-in-law to make him the Sarbat of Rooh afjah by saying, "Amma, Sorbot than (mother, give me a glass of Sharbat)." At the end of the month the students started counting the bottles of rooh afjah to understand how much that son in law drank. They (students) used to make fun of him (the son in law).

I don't know why; maybe my father put pressure on her. Because after some time, my mom decided to bring Sifat back home. We got relieved from the tension.

I am not saying their study process is bad. But it's a very tough life. They run the whole institute on a very low budget and are traditionally very strict. Things can be improved.

Taking the hints

 

Sometimes, people can't tell you the brutal truth directly. They took different topics and gave a little hint of the actual matter. You will sense that they are actually saying something else when they are talking.

I heard someone was giving me hope, but the way they said it, I could feel they might suspect I would fail. It hurts, but I want to try again, as always, and prepare to accept whatever the outcome is.

I am praying to Allah. If things are good for me, let them come to me; if not, please keep them away.

TNO – The Neighborhood Organization’s

 TNO – The Neighborhood Organization’s services for refugees and immigrants

By Himani Sharma, Prabhnoor Kaur, Sedigheh Amiri, Shahana Shafiuddin, Theodora Burnette. 

Introduction: This is a reflection paper on TNO (The Neighbourhood Organization). We will discuss their services with the Immigrants and Refugees.

About TNO: TNO – THE NEIGHBOURHOOD ORGANIZATION is a community-based, multi-service agency providing a wide range of community services since 1985.​ Their Mission: “We strengthen the quality of life through services, engagement, partnerships, and advocacy.”​ Organizations Vision: “Neighbourhoods where everyone belongs and succeeds.”

Who are immigrants: Immigrants are people who come to live permanently in a foreign country.

Who are refugees: A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence.

TNO services for Immigrants:

TNO is a community-based non-profit charity organization. It supports and empowers low-income, marginalized, and newcomer communities across Canada.

It helps to adjust to life in Ontario.

Anyone new to Canada or struggling to settle down in Ontario is eligible to get free services from TNO to get informed and connected with the community so that they can adjust to Canada successfully. The services are free and open to all who are living in Ontario.

It is a proud member of the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants. It helps a newcomer adjust to Canadian culture and lifestyle.

TNO received the 2019 Settlement Agency Award as Winner.

Some Important Services for immigration by TNO:

-          One-on-one needs assessment and plan: A counsellor will sit with a client and discuss making a plan for the client's problems and setting the goals to solve them.

-          Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC): This program helps newcomers learn English language skills, which are essential for their social, economic, and cultural integration into Canadian society.

-          Information and Referrals Services: TNO gives referrals to community services, including government benefits, immigration and citizenships, employment, education and training, community resources, health, housing and much more.

-          Immigration and Citizenship: TNO arranges citizenship test preparation classes to prepare newcomers for the citizenship test. They also assist immigrants in filling out different forms.

-          Orientation to Life in Canada: TNO presented welcome events for the newcomers and helped them to have networking opportunities. They also arrange group information sessions to help them learn about settlement-related issues for newcomers.

-          Workshop & Volunteer Opportunity: TNO arranges the Orientation to Ontario (O2O) workshop series. They also give volunteer opportunities to the newcomers.

-          Mental Health: For youth seeking mental and emotional support, TNO provides counselling, support, and referral services.

-          HUB Settlement Services: Here, TNO provides in-person settlement services.

-          Itinerant Settlement Services: In this process, TNO assists newcomer students and families.

-          Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS): This program is designed for newcomer youth aged 15 to 30 who face barriers to employment.

-          Caregivers in Transition: TNO provides one-on-one sessions and group training for caregivers in transition.

Our views on Immigrants Services of TNO: Canada is world-known for its immigration. People worldwide come to Canada for settlement to have a better life and contribute to the Canadian economy.

These newcomers are from different cultures and races. They don’t have a clear idea about Canadian society, work experience, or fluency in the language. To prepare newcomers to join Canadian society and help them use their skills to contribute to the Canadian economy, need proper support and training.

TNO is doing a very good job for the newcomers. Their training and support are designed perfectly for the newcomers. However, there are some scopes to improve these services too. They might add childcare and support, an information center for the parents, support for food and basic income for a home until they get a good job or training. They will get help 6 months after arriving in Canada. Newcomers should have tour facilities. Here, the organization can take a tourist bus and help newcomers visit natural, cultural, or historical places. These steps would help them have a better, sounder life.

TNO Services for Refugees:

TNO supports refugees to help them to start a new life in Canada. They work with them and provide them with financial assistance, housing support, and health services. Because of this support, many refugees can improve their English language, find a job, and start to make friends and connections with newcomers. TNO’s mission is to ensure that every refugee gets the support they need to settle in their new home in Canada.

Our views on Refugee Services of TNO:

TNO has very well-organized policies and processes to help the refugee people in Canada. A newcomer can return to their country if they don’t like living in Canada. A refugee can’t do that. They came to save their or their families' lives from their home country to Canada.

Nowadays, we can see that many refugees can’t find shelter. So, they had to live on the side of the road. In winter, this is not an easy job. They have nowhere to go or any way to earn for themselves.

We know Canada is a rich country. Canada can do better for the refugees. That’s why TNO can have better solutions or more support for the refugees.

Conclusion:

TNO – The Neighbourhood Organization was previously known as Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office. Last year, TNO – The Neighbourhood Organization supported over thirty-two thousand clients in settlement, housing, skill building, early childhood and youth programs, language, and employment programming.  What started as an afterschool program has expanded to support the surrounding communities in various aspects of social services.

 

References:

Ali, S., Brown, J., & Halder, R. and S. (2021, November 4). Support tno. TNO Toronto. https://donate.tno-toronto.org/

Oxford languages and google - english. Oxford Languages. (n.d.). https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/

What is a refugee? definition and meaning: USA for UNHCR. USA for UNHCR. The Un Refugee Agency. (n.d.). https://www.unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/what-is-a-refugee/#:~:text=A%20refugee%20is%20someone%20who,of%20persecution%2C%20war%20or%20violence.

The neighbourhood organization. The Neighbourhood Organization. (n.d.). https://tno-toronto.org/

Biography 267: Kantha

 In Bangla, we call it Kantha. It is a thick homemade cloth made by adding several used and soft cloths and sewing them together to make something like a blanket. It is long and big for older people and used like a blanket. For kids, it is small so that whenever it gets wet, they can change it. It's very common in Bangladesh.

Before Sifat was born, my mom made some kantha. But those were not enough. So, we all sisters get the job to make kantha. I think my older sister made the most. I did some, too. Once, Lisi Apa came to visit Sifat, and she brought a kantha too. The most useful thing after a baby is born.

What Influences the Voters

 Every political party has some blind supporters. That's why they succeed. No matter how much you campaign or communicate in the community, they won't change their mind. You can only change those candidates' minds who are not that involved in politics, are neutral-minded, don't know about all candidates, and want to decide after listening to everyone.

If men think they won't vote for women, they won't. If you put a bulldog as a candidate, they will vote for the dog, not the woman. It's really difficult to change this kind of mindset.

Some people think, traditionally, we always vote for the same party, and I will continue. But people don't realize that, with time, parties and their candidates are changing, and so are their mindsets. And sometimes someone much better can stand in another party.

Some only look for their own benefit. They forget everyone's benefit is the real benefit and from where people can actually get benefited.

Some don't understand climate issues, global issues, or humanitarian issues. They only know they are the best, so they do things to improve their lives and forget other matters.

Sometimes, to stop someone worse, people vote for the second-placed person. They had to leave the person they actually liked.

The majority of voters are not open-minded. That's why sometimes a good party and its candidates remain partisan.

The Little Portugal (in detail)

 Little Portugal is in the Old Downtown Toronto West. It is also known as Portugal Village. The Portuguese people created it. It is a residential area. A significant number of Brazilians also live here. The neighbourhood was built around the 1950s to 1970s when thousands of Portuguese people migrated to Canada and started living here.

Little Portugal is an eclectic and multicultural neighbourhood. They are rich in their cultural heritage, and if you visit, you will experience the essence of Portugal. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appeared surprisedly at the sister location of Caldense Bakery (Portuguese café) in Bradford, Ontario.

Portuguese people migrated to Canada because of political conflicts in Portugal. With time, Little Portugal faces changes, so the residents are making the ongoing push to protect the area's heritage.

We want to bring the essence of Little Portugal to show how these immigrant Portuguese people created another piece of Portugal in Canada.

A profile of the neighbourhood/community, including diversity levels and demographics.

The basic demographics of Little Portugal are listed above, which are differentiated based on some of the major distribution areas.

It is bound on the west by Lansdowne Avenue, north by College Street, east by Ossington Avenue, and south by the Go Transit and Union Pearson Express railway tracks. The area is mainly residential, with Portuguese businesses along Dundas Street West and College Street. 

·         The total population of the community is almost 15,559. From 2011-2016, the population change is recorded as an increase of 29.1%, and the population density is 12,856. 500 people immigrated to the community from 2011 to 2016. Most of the population is from Europe, and the least is from Africa. Most people in the community make between $20,000 to $49,999.

·         Little Portugal is becoming more diverse even though the Portuguese community is still evident. It is becoming more diverse even though the Portuguese community is still evident. Other ethnic groups have moved there recently, enhancing the region's heterogeneous makeup.

·         Little Portugal’s 10.39% population is Chinese, 3.88% is Black, and 2.62% is the southeast Asian.

         The highest population is of working age that is 25-54 year old and consists of almost 62% of population, followed by youth population aged between 15-24 years consists of 11% of population, at third position there are seniors aged above 65 years with 10% of population, the children are at last second position with almost 9% of total population and the last position is of pre-retirement population aged between 55-64 years with 8% of total population.

Most of the residents of this community have annual incomes of between $20K-$4OK, which is almost 17% of the population. 15% of the population has annual income between $40K-60K. Following the pattern, 13% of the population has income between $ 60K and $ 80K. 11% of the population has income between $80K-$100k. In this way, income is exceeding as the population rate decreases. 10% of the population of the population has income between $100K-$125K. 7% of the population has covered the area income between $125K-150K. 8% of the population has population has income from 150K-200K. 9% of the population has income between $20K or less than this. Last but not least, 4% of the population has income between $300K or above.

Due to the large Portuguese population of Little Portugal, Portuguese is frequently spoken there. Although several languages are spoken in the area, English is also extensively used.

In recent years, development has taken place in several areas of the community, changing the neighbourhood’s population and housing stock. Young professionals have moved in, and property prices have increased. The restaurants, boutiques, and cultural activities in Little Portugal are well-known. Portuguese food, festivals, and other cultural events are popular in the area. Community groups and cultural institutions promote and preserve the Portuguese language, culture, and traditions. The neighbourhood is home to a developing creative and creative community, including artists, musicians, and designers. These organizations act as a hub for the Portuguese population and promote cultural interchange. Little Portugal is well connected to public transport, making it accessible to residents from many backgrounds and parts of the city. This innovative atmosphere contributes to the neighbourhood’s unique identity.

How the Little Portugal’s name has been created:

 

While the community is still made up of primarily Portuguese residents, many have moved in recent years from Toronto’s downtown to the suburbs. Urban professionals have slowly started moving in, trying to buy older houses close to the downtown core.

So, the region developed as the Portuguese immigrants showed up and formed their families and foundations. This region is the center of Portuguese settlement in Toronto and is currently home to the biggest Portuguese population in the country. Therefore, Little Portugal gets its name from the fact that around 19% of the population is Portuguese, which is the largest ethnic group in the neighbourhood. Several Portuguese storefronts located along College and Dundas Street are effective in giving the area its name.

But it is essential to know that, Unlike Little Italy and Koreatown, Little Portugal didn't get its name for having a ton of Portuguese businesses in the area. Instead, it's a neighbourhood of many Portuguese people, plus a recent influx of Brazilians.

The name Portugal originates from the Latin Portus Cale, which was the original name of the city of Porto.

Little Portugal is also known as Portugal Village and Beaconsfield.

How do the characteristics of the neighbourhood/community make it unique?

 

A few things made the little Portugal a special and distinct community among others. While these unique characteristics can vary on the location and time, the following are some specialties of this neighbourhood: -

1.      Architectural and aesthetic features: - The architectural elements are the main vibe of this community, as the street walls have different kinds of art, including statues, murals, etc. and reflect the culture and Portuguese styles and it is like an open-air museum. These art ideas highlight the history and oral traditions of the Portuguese community.

2.      Food and Culinary arts: -Portuguese cuisine is a significant part of this community. A few restaurants and bakeries serve authentic and delicious food, mainly seafood and baked cookies.

3. Cultural identity: -The Little Portugal neighbourhood is an ideal place to introduce the culture of Portuguese people. It is well known for preserving the food, markets, bakeries, clothing stores and other cultural centres of Portugal where visitors and other people can experience the cultural food, music, art, and other specialties.

4. Festivals and events: -Some several events and festivals are held every year to make life more enjoyable. This community has various events like the Fado music performances and Dia de Portugal that are famous among other neighbourhoods too and bring them to celebrate together.

What are the main settlement and integration issues faced by refugee and immigrant members of that neighbourhood/community?

 

The Portuguese Canadians faced challenges, like many new immigrant/refugee communities. When they came, they needed to be fluent in English, which was not a dominant language in Portugal. Most were also not highly educated and did not even have a high school education. And in Canada, they were expected to adapt to a strange new culture. Therefore, professional, higher-paying jobs needed to be in reach for the first generation of Portuguese immigrants. So, making a living in Canada was a challenge. That’s why many new immigrants took low-paying, manual labour jobs where education and English skills were not necessary to establish themselves economically and feed their families. Those who did acquire high school education gradually went into white-collar jobs like realtors, travel agents or driving school instructors. And over time, their kids and grandkids, the next generations, became even better integrated and established as high school teachers, lawyers, social workers, etc. Nevertheless, many immigrants and their kids, especially males, stayed in the trades. It was also challenging to preserve their language and cultural traditions in a society like Canada, where English and French are dominant languages. So, the Portuguese community also found ways to keep close and preserve their language and culture, i.e., through Portuguese social events such as soccer clubs (a popular sport in Portugal), festivals, restaurants, and heritage language classes for their kids, etc.

 

Many of the first generation preferred to attend social activities in Portuguese, but this was only sometimes true for their Canadian-educated children. Economic advances followed urbanization. Most labourers first worked in Canada as farmhands or railway labourers. When they moved to the cities, they sought janitorial, construction and factory work. Women were employed as cleaners or as textile or food-processing workers. During the 1960s, increasing numbers of families opened clothing stores, fish shops, bakeries, and restaurants. The minority with secondary education often became realtors, travel agents, or driving-school instructors or provided other services for the community members. By the 1970s, a second Canadian-trained generation included high school teachers, lawyers, social workers, engineers, and civil servants. Many more entered semiskilled and skilled trades.

 Conclusion

The Little Portugal changed a lot over the years. Mainly, people who live here get changed. Nowadays, primarily elderly people live. This is a historical core of immigrant Portuguese settlement. Nowadays, a significant number of non-European people have started living in the area. It is a fantastic place for a Portuguese child to grow up and live in a place representing their ethnicity. They can stay close to their traditional beliefs and practices, making the Canadian multi-cultural environment.

References:

 

Higgs, David & Anderson, Grace, M. (2019, September 18). Portuguese Canadians. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Accessed October 10, 2023, at: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/portuguese

 

Little Portugal. Helping people find apartment rentals in Toronto since 1995. (n.d.). https://www.torontorentals.com/neighbourhood-guide/toronto/little-portugal

 

City of Toronto. (2023, October 12). City of Toronto. https://www.toronto.ca/

Google. (n.d.). Adobe Acrobat: PDF Edit, convert, sign tools. Google. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/adobe-acrobat-pdf-edit-co/efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj?hl=en-GB

Biography 266: When Sifat was born.

 When my younger brother was born, I was in grade 5. Mom told my father that she was not feeling well in the morning. However, my dad decided to go to the office.

Later, my mom took me to Dr. Badrunnesa's clinic, where she used to go for her regular check-ups. The doctor and nurses said to my mom, "Your daughter is your guardian?"

 I could hear my mom screaming. Not only me but all the patients who were waiting for the doctor. All heard her screaming. Some said this must be her first child, that she couldn't bear the pain at all. In my mind, I said, it's her 5th. Still, I don't know how women absorb this pain again and again.

My mom showed me two pieces of baggage where she brought all the necessary items. A nurse came and asked for some clothes. I tried to find something in her bag, and then the nurse searched and got wherever they needed and left. Finally, they moved my mom to a personal cabin.

After some time, they brought my brother Sifat. My mom was sleeping. The nurse asked if I should take him back. I said no, give him to me. The nurse held the baby in my hand. I saw a beautiful baby boy sleeping on my arm. Later, I proudly told everyone I had to hold him first.

My father came in the afternoon. He said a prayer to his ear. My mom gave some honey on his lips and he suck it up immediately, we all laughed.

My older sister named him Sifat. My mom chose a different one for his full name. Sifat became his nickname. In childhood, he looked so beautiful that people always considered him a girl.

Jazz, in radio

 I have a table clock with a radio. I bought it because it has a radio. Generally, I play the radio and listen to CTV, a news channel, when I work in my room. For some reason, I lost that channel.

So, nowadays, I am listening to a new channel, Jazz FV 91. It always plays Jazz, and I Like It Because it helps to calm my brain.

If you love Jazz, you can also listen to his radio channel.

Little Portugal, Ontario in pictures

 

From a Bakery shop

Wall painting

About a program

The map

Businesses

Art Work

Delicious food in a restaurant

Cultural activities

Some statistics

Location and Population.

Biography 265: He thought I was a maid.

 In Bangladesh, it is very common for people to hire a maid for household work. In many cases, the maids are children from poor families.

We had a 5 storied buildings. Once, a new tenant came to our building on the 4th floor. When they arrived, they considered cleaning the floor with a maid/cleaner. I heard they were talking about something like that. At that moment, I was carrying a bucket of wet clothes to take to the roof from the 2nd floor to the 6th (the roof). It was heavy, and I was facing trouble. So, I was taking short breaks in between climbing up. I took a break in the middle of the 3rd and 4th floors. The apartment's door on the 4th floor was open, and the tenant's brother was looking at me while talking with her sister; he said something to her. I felt he was asking why we didn't ask this girl to clean our apartment. His sister saw me before when talking with my mom about the rent deal. She smiled and stopped her brother by saying she (me) was a landlord's daughter.

At that moment, I felt bad. B, but it was okay was just following Mom's instructions to help her. By the way, we had maids on those days.

It's not their fault, either. I used to dress poorly, and I used to have one pair of new dresses on Eid every year. My fashion sense is still very poor.

Do we need a gym to burn fat?

 I understand that if you want to build a specific body structure, you should go to a gym and follow the instructors. But only to burn fat, do you really need a gym? 

You can do jogging without a treadmill. Moreover, you can do physical work at home or help moms with heavy work, relatives, neighbours, disabled people, or elderly people. Even to clean or fix the neighbourhood can help your calory burns.

Then why do we have to spend money on the gym and burn fat with no benefit? Why don't we burn our extra fat by doing practical physical work?

Even a gym can produce power by using this physical strength.

Little Portugal in Toronto.

 

Consumers are loyal, corporates should be too

 I believe Canadian consumers are doing their part. They are buying Canadian products. However, Canadian corporations should do some favour to Canadians, too. They should make the price affordable. If the other country's product's price can be low with transit costs, Canadian home country products should be low too, at least near that price. 

People are already suffering from unnecessarily high prices. The prices went high for every reason, such as war, COVID-19, oil prices, or anything else. Actually, they didn't suffer that much, and this way, the owner became richer and richer. That price didn't go down, actually. Now, they have started using the new tariff cause. Some product prices have become high already.

I will request all wealthy corporations to make all products' prices reasonable. Canadians should be together in all matters, right?

Biography 264: Camera

 Photography has changed dramatically in one generation. My first childhood pictures were taken in a photo studio. My mom used to prepare and take us to the studio, where they took our black-and-white pictures.

Then my mom bought a camera that works with a photo reel. We had limited pictures we could take, so my parents had to develop the reel and print it out.

In my generation, I have seen digital cameras earlier. People take pictures and then download them to the computer.

Then, cell phones added camera features. As far as I can see, Samsung gives the best quality pictures. Now, taking pictures isn't an issue.

The next picture-taking feature was added to glasses or anywhere else. So, people are taking pictures by blinking. Satellite pictures are also very important. Let's see what comes next.

People like to talk with their maid

 A maid does all the jobs that need to be done for you. That person takes all your directions and fulfills them. They stay close to you. If you need anything, you call them first. They listen. That may be why people like to talk with their maids.

As maids stay at home, look at everything going around the owner. They knew the owner's situation more than anyone. They are obedient. So, the owner likes them, talks with them, shares their feelings, and sometimes their secrets.

Sometimes, the only person available is their maid when the owner doesn't have anyone to talk to. Maids always try to make their owners happy, so they always agree with them, which makes the owners speak more with them.

I have seen this with many people, especially with my parents.

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